I am a little behind on blogging, and have not made entries that show all of the work I've done over the past week toward figuring out what I need my final screen art to look like. I'll get on that eventually.
But, the news today is that I finished the artwork up tonight based on all of the research, and submitted it to Westar, who is going to burn the screens.
All told, this will be the largest single outlay of cash for this project. The two screens, plus shipping, are going to run me about a thousand bucks. Yikes. I hope I can get some good use out of them.
Because of the weirdly high costs, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be offering a run of fabric for fellow Superman Returns enthusiasts who want to make a really accurate suit.
Showing posts with label Superman Returns Body Suit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superman Returns Body Suit. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Diamond Pattern Decision
After a lot of testing, and a lot of squinting at reference photos, I've decided which patterns to use in the creation of the final screens.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
Diamond Pattern Decision
After a lot of testing, and a lot of squinting at reference photos, I've decided which patterns to use in the creation of the final screens.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Leg Pattern Is Looking Good.
I finished my first attempt at the new leg pattern, and overall I'm very satisfied with the results. As with all of these things, there are some minor tweaks to make, but in essence, it was a success. Let me walk you through the steps.
First of all, it is currently snowing in Columbus. Which makes doing ANYTHING pretty much a total nightmare. And I'm not just talking about the traffic. Psychologically, it's just really tough to get out of the house where it's nice and warm. I hate digging snow or ice off my car. Such a bore.
Despite the snow, I made it down to Kinko's where they printed out my pattern. Because I had resized it, the dude was able to print it out on two pieces, rather than four this time. That will make my job much easier once I get home. Here's a pic of the large format printer at the Kinko's.
Here are the sheets as they came out of the printer from Kinko's. Because I was expecting there to be four parts, and have no advanced knowledge of where the page breaks would be, I put in a series of registration lines that I could use to align the diffferent pieces. Because there were only two pieces, most of those lines became unnecessary. You can see where I have overlaid my previously made leg pattern on top of the new one. It's scaled almost perfectly to it.
Here's the pattern pieces all cut out and taped together.
I then rolled out some fabric I had, and traced around the pattern.
Here is the final product. Obviously, you can't really tell much from this photo, but the fact remains that they are pants! The fit is pretty good. I guess my scaling job worked rather well. I will need to do some adjustments around the legs, and I will probably eliminate the feet, as those are not needed in this suit.
Overall, very happy with the results.
The step I'm anxiously waiting on right now is to complete the screen print tests. Once those are done, I will be able to kick the screen printing stuff into high gear.
First of all, it is currently snowing in Columbus. Which makes doing ANYTHING pretty much a total nightmare. And I'm not just talking about the traffic. Psychologically, it's just really tough to get out of the house where it's nice and warm. I hate digging snow or ice off my car. Such a bore.
Despite the snow, I made it down to Kinko's where they printed out my pattern. Because I had resized it, the dude was able to print it out on two pieces, rather than four this time. That will make my job much easier once I get home. Here's a pic of the large format printer at the Kinko's.
Here are the sheets as they came out of the printer from Kinko's. Because I was expecting there to be four parts, and have no advanced knowledge of where the page breaks would be, I put in a series of registration lines that I could use to align the diffferent pieces. Because there were only two pieces, most of those lines became unnecessary. You can see where I have overlaid my previously made leg pattern on top of the new one. It's scaled almost perfectly to it.
Here's the pattern pieces all cut out and taped together.
I then rolled out some fabric I had, and traced around the pattern.
Here is the final product. Obviously, you can't really tell much from this photo, but the fact remains that they are pants! The fit is pretty good. I guess my scaling job worked rather well. I will need to do some adjustments around the legs, and I will probably eliminate the feet, as those are not needed in this suit.
Overall, very happy with the results.
The step I'm anxiously waiting on right now is to complete the screen print tests. Once those are done, I will be able to kick the screen printing stuff into high gear.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tiny Screen Update
For sake of thoroughness, I wanted to inform my dear readers of some last minute progress tonight. I did some measuring of the artwork for both the body suit and the briefs, and wrote an email to Westar to get a quote. Though I have not finalized the measurements, I am close enough to request a quote, so at least I know what I am getting myself into.
I also did some tiny changes to the legs artwork shown in my most recent previous post, and transferred it to a flash drive. I will try to get over to Kinko's tomorrow to get it output.
I also did some tiny changes to the legs artwork shown in my most recent previous post, and transferred it to a flash drive. I will try to get over to Kinko's tomorrow to get it output.
Paper Pattern Work
In this thread, I discussed the process I went through to put together a drawing for the leg pattern. A few days ago, I managed to make my way over to Kinko's to get it printed out.
Because the printer wasn't big enough to do it in one shot, I got four pieces printed out.
And after a little bit of cutting and taping, I ended up with the completed pattern. This picture is upside down, so whatever perspective mess it makes, I'm hoping that the payoff is that it's recognizeable as legs.
Flash forward a few days to tonight, where I was thinking about how big the screen will need to be in order to get the diamonds printed onto a piece of fabric this wide. The paper pattern you see in the picture above is REALLY wide.it's like 70" or something rediculous like that. That seemed like an awful lot.
But then I had something of a brain storm, and realized that I had already put a lot of time into developing a very form fitting single leg pattern for the lower half of the body. I laid that on top of my new pattern, only to learn that my instinct was right. I had grossly oversized my new pattern.
Not really a big deal at all, as the paper print out cost me under 20 dollars. So it was only a few bucks lost. The other thing I realized is that there was a problem with the original artwork that I needed to correct. On the spiderman suit, from which this pattern is taken, the waist has a v-taper on the back. This is to match the web patterned belt-thingie that spidey wears. I corrected that in my drawing, and also scaled it all down to match the measurements of the single leg pattern I had drafted previously.
Also from the lessons learned the first time around, I added in some registration lines so I can get both halves lined up perfectl. Here's what it looks like now:
I will have the dude print out two of these, then I will tape it up, and it should be much closer to the size I need. Its also MUCH smaller, which means I won't need such a huge screen for the final artwork.
Because the printer wasn't big enough to do it in one shot, I got four pieces printed out.
And after a little bit of cutting and taping, I ended up with the completed pattern. This picture is upside down, so whatever perspective mess it makes, I'm hoping that the payoff is that it's recognizeable as legs.
Flash forward a few days to tonight, where I was thinking about how big the screen will need to be in order to get the diamonds printed onto a piece of fabric this wide. The paper pattern you see in the picture above is REALLY wide.it's like 70" or something rediculous like that. That seemed like an awful lot.
But then I had something of a brain storm, and realized that I had already put a lot of time into developing a very form fitting single leg pattern for the lower half of the body. I laid that on top of my new pattern, only to learn that my instinct was right. I had grossly oversized my new pattern.
Not really a big deal at all, as the paper print out cost me under 20 dollars. So it was only a few bucks lost. The other thing I realized is that there was a problem with the original artwork that I needed to correct. On the spiderman suit, from which this pattern is taken, the waist has a v-taper on the back. This is to match the web patterned belt-thingie that spidey wears. I corrected that in my drawing, and also scaled it all down to match the measurements of the single leg pattern I had drafted previously.
Also from the lessons learned the first time around, I added in some registration lines so I can get both halves lined up perfectl. Here's what it looks like now:
I will have the dude print out two of these, then I will tape it up, and it should be much closer to the size I need. Its also MUCH smaller, which means I won't need such a huge screen for the final artwork.
Screens and Inks
No pictures today, just a logistical update on the silk screen action I'm working on.
I got an email today from Westar telling me that both of my screens are on their way, along with some white plastisol ink I ordered from them. This is a different blend of Plastisol, and is kind of the "standard" ink for screen printing on fabric. it's a little thinner than the stuff I used previously, and doesn't stack up the way the other stuff does. It will make for an interesting experiment.
The two screens on their way are the sample screens for the different diamond patterns. One for the briefs, one for the body suit.
I also ordered four different colors of speedball inks to help out with the She-Hulk project that Laamberry is doing. I got some black and white, so that I can mix a light grey. I also got some blue and red so that I can mix a good purple for the sides. I'm going to have to move quickly with the testing of the screens so that I can order the final screen. LB needs the screen printed fabric by end of month so that she'll have time to sew together the costume for her event.
So basically, I've got a bunch of stuff coming in the mail.
End of line.
I got an email today from Westar telling me that both of my screens are on their way, along with some white plastisol ink I ordered from them. This is a different blend of Plastisol, and is kind of the "standard" ink for screen printing on fabric. it's a little thinner than the stuff I used previously, and doesn't stack up the way the other stuff does. It will make for an interesting experiment.
The two screens on their way are the sample screens for the different diamond patterns. One for the briefs, one for the body suit.
I also ordered four different colors of speedball inks to help out with the She-Hulk project that Laamberry is doing. I got some black and white, so that I can mix a light grey. I also got some blue and red so that I can mix a good purple for the sides. I'm going to have to move quickly with the testing of the screens so that I can order the final screen. LB needs the screen printed fabric by end of month so that she'll have time to sew together the costume for her event.
So basically, I've got a bunch of stuff coming in the mail.
End of line.
Friday, December 31, 2010
And Now, BLUE Diamonds!
There has been a flurry of activity lately on the silk screening process, and I'm really motivated to continue to push forward based on all of the progress. To that end, today I drew up some artwork for a screen that will let me de-bug the blue diamonds that will go on the main body suit.
I'm taking the same approach that seems to be working with the briefs diamonds. The artwork I just sent over to westar includes ten different samples of diamonds. Here's a peek.
Just like with the trunks diagram, I am following the same formula. The five samples at the top represent my original artwork, with the edges stroked in different amounts, and different colors. This will allow me to allow for seepage and still get a very accurate final product. The bottom 5 have the inner diamond enlarged by 10%, and then the same stroke weights applied.
The artwork for the blue diamonds was created directly from a scan of a fabric swatch, so I am feeling very confident about its accuracy.
For comparison, this image shows the difference between the blue diamonds and the red. The red are smaller, and more tightly packed. Pretty cool.
I sent my artwork off to westar just now, and hope that they will be able to burn the screen and get it out to me pretty quickly. I'm now under the gun to get the blue diamond screen all worked out, as I have committed to helping a friend with her She-Hulk costume that she hopes to have completed by mid February. We came up with the idea of silk screening the micro-diamond pattern onto the fabric she will be using as the body suit. We figured this way it would bring something new to the costume, and give it a little more visual diversity that you wouldn't normally get from straight up white milliskin.
I'm taking the same approach that seems to be working with the briefs diamonds. The artwork I just sent over to westar includes ten different samples of diamonds. Here's a peek.
Just like with the trunks diagram, I am following the same formula. The five samples at the top represent my original artwork, with the edges stroked in different amounts, and different colors. This will allow me to allow for seepage and still get a very accurate final product. The bottom 5 have the inner diamond enlarged by 10%, and then the same stroke weights applied.
The artwork for the blue diamonds was created directly from a scan of a fabric swatch, so I am feeling very confident about its accuracy.
For comparison, this image shows the difference between the blue diamonds and the red. The red are smaller, and more tightly packed. Pretty cool.
I sent my artwork off to westar just now, and hope that they will be able to burn the screen and get it out to me pretty quickly. I'm now under the gun to get the blue diamond screen all worked out, as I have committed to helping a friend with her She-Hulk costume that she hopes to have completed by mid February. We came up with the idea of silk screening the micro-diamond pattern onto the fabric she will be using as the body suit. We figured this way it would bring something new to the costume, and give it a little more visual diversity that you wouldn't normally get from straight up white milliskin.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Leg Pattern
An online pal of mine named Nick Fox recently completed work on a pattern for a Spider-man suit that is just stunning. I got to thinking about the seam lines for the Superman suit, and decided that I wanted to see if I could copy the pattern that was used for the bottom half of the Spidey suit.
I emailed Nick and asked him if I could use his graphics for reference. Here's what his look like:
Of course, Nick's is in color, doesn't have a water mark on it, and is way bigger. This pic is really just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
I imported that picture into adobe illustrator and traced around the lines I am interested in. Here are the final results:
Next step is to take this down to Kinko's and get it printed on one of their large scale printers. I will then use that as a pattern to build a pair of pants.
I emailed Nick and asked him if I could use his graphics for reference. Here's what his look like:
Of course, Nick's is in color, doesn't have a water mark on it, and is way bigger. This pic is really just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
I imported that picture into adobe illustrator and traced around the lines I am interested in. Here are the final results:
Next step is to take this down to Kinko's and get it printed on one of their large scale printers. I will then use that as a pattern to build a pair of pants.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
New Superman Returns Costume Details Discovered
A recent e-mail dialog with online buddy and fellow superman enthusiast Brian M. revealed a number of really startling discoveries about the Returns suit. Well, they were startling for me. Brian obviously already knew all about them.
It still surprises me how after studying this suit for a few years now, there are still surprises to be had.
Brian made a trip out to the Madame Toussaude's Wax Museum in NYC a while back, where they were proudly displaying a Superman Returns replica. Being the good samaritan he is, he took a number of good pictures, including of parts that were not readily visible. Below is a selection of those pictures, and some comments on why they are so interesting.
Let's start with a big one. What this picture shows is the seam on the trunks. There is only ONE seam on the trunks, and it goes right down the back side, through the crotch, and up into the front. I had always wondered why there was that little seam visible in front, on the lower part of the crotch. Now I know. There are no side seams. I originally thought the trunks were constructed like traditional speedo type things. One seam on either side, and another at the bottom of the crotch. I was wrong.
This is a closeup picture of the trunks that Brian took of the suit on display at Comicon in 2010. Wish I had been there. I like this picture because it shows the seamwork on the trunks, and also shows how thick the ink is. You can also tell that the diamonds are lighter colored than the fabric they sit on.
This picture shows something I had long suspected, but could not tell with absolutel certainty. The collar uses the same diamond pattern as the briefs, NOT the body suit. It's also on its side, which is interesting.
This picture is just pure gold, and I'm SOO happy that Brian shared it with me. It shows a couple of really interesting things. First, there are NO side seams on the torso. I always figured they just shifted the seams from the side toward the back, but here you can see they eliminated them altogether. This means that the torso is just one big piece of fabric, with the only seam being at the back, on the zipper. That makes construction a lot easier, but makes silk screening the diamond pattern a little more difficult. It means the screen will have to be big enough to cover the area for the entire torso.
But what's even better is that you can see the racing stripes on the back. That's amazing. Heck, I didn't even know there WERE stripes on the back until I saw this picture.
This is a great shot of the back of the arm, which shows how the strip snakes its way around the arm.
This picture is swiped from that french website that I linked to in a previous post. It is interesting not only because it shows the seam on the shoulder again, but also shows the placement of the velcro that was used to keep the cape in place.
Second photo from the french site, clearly showing the seam on the shoulder. I did not know there was a seam there.
It still surprises me how after studying this suit for a few years now, there are still surprises to be had.
Brian made a trip out to the Madame Toussaude's Wax Museum in NYC a while back, where they were proudly displaying a Superman Returns replica. Being the good samaritan he is, he took a number of good pictures, including of parts that were not readily visible. Below is a selection of those pictures, and some comments on why they are so interesting.
Let's start with a big one. What this picture shows is the seam on the trunks. There is only ONE seam on the trunks, and it goes right down the back side, through the crotch, and up into the front. I had always wondered why there was that little seam visible in front, on the lower part of the crotch. Now I know. There are no side seams. I originally thought the trunks were constructed like traditional speedo type things. One seam on either side, and another at the bottom of the crotch. I was wrong.
This is a closeup picture of the trunks that Brian took of the suit on display at Comicon in 2010. Wish I had been there. I like this picture because it shows the seamwork on the trunks, and also shows how thick the ink is. You can also tell that the diamonds are lighter colored than the fabric they sit on.
This picture shows something I had long suspected, but could not tell with absolutel certainty. The collar uses the same diamond pattern as the briefs, NOT the body suit. It's also on its side, which is interesting.
This picture is just pure gold, and I'm SOO happy that Brian shared it with me. It shows a couple of really interesting things. First, there are NO side seams on the torso. I always figured they just shifted the seams from the side toward the back, but here you can see they eliminated them altogether. This means that the torso is just one big piece of fabric, with the only seam being at the back, on the zipper. That makes construction a lot easier, but makes silk screening the diamond pattern a little more difficult. It means the screen will have to be big enough to cover the area for the entire torso.
But what's even better is that you can see the racing stripes on the back. That's amazing. Heck, I didn't even know there WERE stripes on the back until I saw this picture.
This is a great shot of the back of the arm, which shows how the strip snakes its way around the arm.
This picture is swiped from that french website that I linked to in a previous post. It is interesting not only because it shows the seam on the shoulder again, but also shows the placement of the velcro that was used to keep the cape in place.
Second photo from the french site, clearly showing the seam on the shoulder. I did not know there was a seam there.
Friday, December 17, 2010
More Screen Printing Supplies Ordered
After the debacle with my previous attempt at screen printing, I decided to switch gears a little. I was not happy with the inks that I used on my first trial, as I realized their limitations. Not only did they crack and peel upon stretching, but the heat treating of them turned out to be far too problematic for my liking.
I was discussing screen printing with an online buddy of mine named Laamberry, who recently completed a run of Scott Pilgrim themed t-shirts. During the course of our discussion, I asked a few questions about inks used, and she recommended a brand named "Speedball".
I did a little research on them, and they seemed like good inks, but they had the same problem that my existing inks have: they need to be heat cured. However, these seemed a little more friendly, as you only need to iron them, instead of heat blast them for 90 seconds at 300 degrees, or whatever it was that the Plastisol inks require.
In my research, I found a site called http://ezscreenprint.com/, which looks like a one stop-shopping kind of place for all things screen printing. After a little digging around, I stumbled upon something called Versatex Fixer!!!! According to the spec sheet, this eliminates the need for heat fixing of inks. PERFECT. This sounds like exactly the type of stuff I am looking for. This should eliminate a few of the trouble spots in my screening process.
I have ordered a small kit of the burgandy ink, and the fixer. For reference, I will add these products to my Links Page.
I was discussing screen printing with an online buddy of mine named Laamberry, who recently completed a run of Scott Pilgrim themed t-shirts. During the course of our discussion, I asked a few questions about inks used, and she recommended a brand named "Speedball".
I did a little research on them, and they seemed like good inks, but they had the same problem that my existing inks have: they need to be heat cured. However, these seemed a little more friendly, as you only need to iron them, instead of heat blast them for 90 seconds at 300 degrees, or whatever it was that the Plastisol inks require.
In my research, I found a site called http://ezscreenprint.com/, which looks like a one stop-shopping kind of place for all things screen printing. After a little digging around, I stumbled upon something called Versatex Fixer!!!! According to the spec sheet, this eliminates the need for heat fixing of inks. PERFECT. This sounds like exactly the type of stuff I am looking for. This should eliminate a few of the trouble spots in my screening process.
I have ordered a small kit of the burgandy ink, and the fixer. For reference, I will add these products to my Links Page.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Silk Screening Video
With all of my work lately on the Superman Returns silk screening, I did a little research into the process, and found a neat little youtube video that does a good job of describing it. It's not a very well edited video, and they went way overboard with the goofy effects, but it's still pretty informative.
Check it out.
Check it out.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
More Milliskin Arrives
Today my latest order of Milliskin came in, and I must confess, this stuff is just plain perfect. As I was hoping it would be.
You can barely/sorta tell from this picture, but on the right is the fabric I had previously. This is the royal blue from Spandex World. The stuff in the middle is the new arrival from Spandex HOUSE. The fabric on the right is a TAD more green than the other, and for that reason I don't love it as much. By itself, it looks great. But when you hold it next to the stuff in the middle, it looks almost turquoise. I'm VERY happy with this new fabric, and I am finished with my search. All I need to do now is get the diamond pattern printed on it and I will be ready to go.
In order to keep things striaght in my head, I started to put together a swatch book. This will be a three ring binder that has swatches of all of the fabrics I order, and contact information in case I need more. Oh, and part number too. I can't keep this stuff straight in my head anymore, so I have to write it down.
That's all for now. Still no final word on the fabric for the trunks, though I have a lead. The stuff that came today wasn't quite right.
You can barely/sorta tell from this picture, but on the right is the fabric I had previously. This is the royal blue from Spandex World. The stuff in the middle is the new arrival from Spandex HOUSE. The fabric on the right is a TAD more green than the other, and for that reason I don't love it as much. By itself, it looks great. But when you hold it next to the stuff in the middle, it looks almost turquoise. I'm VERY happy with this new fabric, and I am finished with my search. All I need to do now is get the diamond pattern printed on it and I will be ready to go.
In order to keep things striaght in my head, I started to put together a swatch book. This will be a three ring binder that has swatches of all of the fabrics I order, and contact information in case I need more. Oh, and part number too. I can't keep this stuff straight in my head anymore, so I have to write it down.
That's all for now. Still no final word on the fabric for the trunks, though I have a lead. The stuff that came today wasn't quite right.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Black Milliskin Ordered
After all the work I've done lately, I've realized that I want the undersuit to be pretty darn nice, and I also want any work I do on it to be carry-over onto my Superman Returns project.
For that reason, I just ordered a bunch of black Milliskin from SpandexWorld. This will be the exact same weight and weave as the stuff I'm using on my SR suit, which will come in handy. I also think it's much nicer fabric than the stuff I got at JoAnns.
In general, I've come to the conclusion that the only benefit of going to JoAnns is instant gratification. The fabrics I am buying online tend to be of much higher quality, and are often 40% cheaper. The only bummer is the delay.
For that reason, I just ordered a bunch of black Milliskin from SpandexWorld. This will be the exact same weight and weave as the stuff I'm using on my SR suit, which will come in handy. I also think it's much nicer fabric than the stuff I got at JoAnns.
In general, I've come to the conclusion that the only benefit of going to JoAnns is instant gratification. The fabrics I am buying online tend to be of much higher quality, and are often 40% cheaper. The only bummer is the delay.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Silk Screens To Be Burned
I had a great phone call with my new best friends over at http://www.westarsolutions.com/index.html, who are going to hook me up with some screens and supplies so that I can get the fabric done right for the body suit and trunks.
The thought process on how to best do the fabric has been a back and forth thing for me. I remember almost two years ago when I was still living in california, visiting a local screen printer to inquire about bolt printing. That was sort of when it all started. At that time, I was content to use my Bronze Armory body suit. Don't get me wrong, it is VERY nice, but as I grew more and more obsessed with the details of the screen used suits, and wanted to get closer and closer to that, I realized some of the shortcomings of that suit.
I have had a lot of conversations with various folks about dye-sub printing the fabric, but the cost was a little prohibitive. I think my best price was about 70 bucks a yard. If I knew EXACTLY what I was doing with the sewing machine, I would consider going that route. But I fear that I could very well screw it up the first couple of tries, and I'm not looking to spend 300 bucks on an error.
I'm not 100% convinced I can pull it off, but my current plan is to screen print the stuff myself. The cost isn't even that bad. For all the screens I need, to have them burned and delivered to my door should be less than the cost of a few yards of the dye sub fabric. If I own the screens, I can crank out as much fabric as I need to. This is also really great, as it means I have the option of offering screen accurate fabric to fellow enthusiasts should they be interested.
ANYHOW, the punchline here is that the folks at Westar were really helpful, and talked me through all of my options, and told me about all the different products that will meet my needs. I ordered a bunch of stuff, but only the screen for the briefs. I am going to start small and make sure I can pull it off before I commit to getting the two other screens I will need to be able to do the entire body suit.
I'm actually really sort of excited about it, and look forward to seeing what I can do.
The thought process on how to best do the fabric has been a back and forth thing for me. I remember almost two years ago when I was still living in california, visiting a local screen printer to inquire about bolt printing. That was sort of when it all started. At that time, I was content to use my Bronze Armory body suit. Don't get me wrong, it is VERY nice, but as I grew more and more obsessed with the details of the screen used suits, and wanted to get closer and closer to that, I realized some of the shortcomings of that suit.
I have had a lot of conversations with various folks about dye-sub printing the fabric, but the cost was a little prohibitive. I think my best price was about 70 bucks a yard. If I knew EXACTLY what I was doing with the sewing machine, I would consider going that route. But I fear that I could very well screw it up the first couple of tries, and I'm not looking to spend 300 bucks on an error.
I'm not 100% convinced I can pull it off, but my current plan is to screen print the stuff myself. The cost isn't even that bad. For all the screens I need, to have them burned and delivered to my door should be less than the cost of a few yards of the dye sub fabric. If I own the screens, I can crank out as much fabric as I need to. This is also really great, as it means I have the option of offering screen accurate fabric to fellow enthusiasts should they be interested.
ANYHOW, the punchline here is that the folks at Westar were really helpful, and talked me through all of my options, and told me about all the different products that will meet my needs. I ordered a bunch of stuff, but only the screen for the briefs. I am going to start small and make sure I can pull it off before I commit to getting the two other screens I will need to be able to do the entire body suit.
I'm actually really sort of excited about it, and look forward to seeing what I can do.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
More Work On The Bodysuit and Pattern
As the title of this post suggests, I found some time this weekend to crank out another top half of the body suit.
There are numerous improvements and changes made this time around, as there have been with each iteration. The greatest news of all is that each time I make one of these, I learn a little more. Either I come up with a new technique to handle a certain problem, or I realize an error I made in a previous iteration.
The other day I cut a brand new paper pattern that sort of incorporated bits and pieces from both of the store bought patterns I've been working with lately. What I really like about the Kwik-Sew pattern is the way it handles the under arm part on the torso. But I prefer the seam lines from my original pattern.
Here's a picture of the finished product. As with many of these pictures, there really isn't a whole lot to glean from it, other than it is complete.
But this second picture is something I'm pretty proud of, though I'm not sure it's clear. What I tried to do with this pattern is move the side seams toward the back zipper by about two inches. It worked like a charm. Notice that the seam from the sleeve does NOT match up with the side seam. This is on purpose. One of the tricks I learned from the Kwik-Sew pattern was what I needed to do in order to move that side seam back a couple inches. So I did it. The instructions for the Kwik-Sew suit also were very different than the first pattern I was using, and it did things in a different order. It turns out, as with combinatorial mathematics, order matters. Attaching the sleeves is not much easier, and much more precise. And I'm getting much better results. Things are lining up better, making for an overall better final product.
I'm also finding that my technique for pinning the fabric together is really working like a charm. By putting the pins in perpendicular to the seam line, I am pretty much eliminating the slippage problems I was having in the past.
I'm still pretty stumped about how to handle the collar, but I've got some idea.
There are numerous improvements and changes made this time around, as there have been with each iteration. The greatest news of all is that each time I make one of these, I learn a little more. Either I come up with a new technique to handle a certain problem, or I realize an error I made in a previous iteration.
The other day I cut a brand new paper pattern that sort of incorporated bits and pieces from both of the store bought patterns I've been working with lately. What I really like about the Kwik-Sew pattern is the way it handles the under arm part on the torso. But I prefer the seam lines from my original pattern.
Here's a picture of the finished product. As with many of these pictures, there really isn't a whole lot to glean from it, other than it is complete.
But this second picture is something I'm pretty proud of, though I'm not sure it's clear. What I tried to do with this pattern is move the side seams toward the back zipper by about two inches. It worked like a charm. Notice that the seam from the sleeve does NOT match up with the side seam. This is on purpose. One of the tricks I learned from the Kwik-Sew pattern was what I needed to do in order to move that side seam back a couple inches. So I did it. The instructions for the Kwik-Sew suit also were very different than the first pattern I was using, and it did things in a different order. It turns out, as with combinatorial mathematics, order matters. Attaching the sleeves is not much easier, and much more precise. And I'm getting much better results. Things are lining up better, making for an overall better final product.
I'm also finding that my technique for pinning the fabric together is really working like a charm. By putting the pins in perpendicular to the seam line, I am pretty much eliminating the slippage problems I was having in the past.
I'm still pretty stumped about how to handle the collar, but I've got some idea.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Blue Milliskin Arrives
The other day my ten yards of milliskin arrived from Spandex World.
Bummer is, I think they sent me the wrong stuff. Either that, or my records are way off. The stuff I got in the mail looks a lot more turquoise than what I was expecting. I think I may have gotten my swatches confused, which is another good lesson in effective record keeping.
For the record, this is the stuff I ordered. But I don't think that's what I got.
Still, all is not lost, as the fabric I received is very nice, and worst case will make for some great practice runs.
Bummer is, I think they sent me the wrong stuff. Either that, or my records are way off. The stuff I got in the mail looks a lot more turquoise than what I was expecting. I think I may have gotten my swatches confused, which is another good lesson in effective record keeping.
For the record, this is the stuff I ordered. But I don't think that's what I got.
Still, all is not lost, as the fabric I received is very nice, and worst case will make for some great practice runs.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Another Shirt Iteration
Though the picture doesn't really show it, I essentially have the pattern working as I would like it to at this point.
There's still a TINY bit of gathering happening in the arm pits that I would prefer not to be there, but it's very minimal. The shirt fits very well, the collar is at the right height, and the seams are in the right places. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this has come along. Sad that it took about 10 yards of rather expensive fabric and six iterations, but it was a great learning experience.
And now, I find myself on the fence. JUST as I started to get this pattern working for me, I have found a new one from Kwik-Sew that I mentioned in my previous post. I think the plan will be to take a run at the Kwik-Sew pattern once, just to see how it goes together. if it's a better pattern, and works nicely, I'll stick with that.
There's still a TINY bit of gathering happening in the arm pits that I would prefer not to be there, but it's very minimal. The shirt fits very well, the collar is at the right height, and the seams are in the right places. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this has come along. Sad that it took about 10 yards of rather expensive fabric and six iterations, but it was a great learning experience.
And now, I find myself on the fence. JUST as I started to get this pattern working for me, I have found a new one from Kwik-Sew that I mentioned in my previous post. I think the plan will be to take a run at the Kwik-Sew pattern once, just to see how it goes together. if it's a better pattern, and works nicely, I'll stick with that.
Body Suit Pattern Update
My pattern from Kwik Sew arrived yesterday. Again, please excuse the hideiously outdated and awful artwork on the cover:
Overall, this pattern looks VERY nice. it is much more professionally drawn up than the pattern I have been using to date. I'm glad I ordered it. The instructions are also a bit more thorough, detailed, and the patterns look much more crisp and tidy. On the existing pattern I'm using, the seams are a little sloppy and don't match up quite right.
Interestingly enough, a discussion was recently started over at the Superhero Costuming Forum about body suits. A few users posted some great links which I would like to re-post here for reference.
This is a link I already have posted in my Links Post. It's a great website, but SLIGHTLY beyond my current skill level. I'm sure if I revisit it in a few months, it will seem like childs play.
http://www.stretchy.org/catsuit/
This is actually a very interesting link. Not only does it include the pattern I just got, but it also shows one for a full body wetsuit that looks MUCH more interesting. Take a look at pattern 2335.
Kwik Sew Catalog - Mens Swim wear
Also a very interesting and informative site can be found here:
http://www.weaponofcreation.com/
Because I am so pleased with the KwikSew pattern that arrived today, and seeing as how impressed I am with the quality, I'm going to move ahead and order pattern 2335. It has the right kind of sleeves, and looks good. This will save me the trouble of modifying the pattern I just got, and will remove some complexity. The good news is that pattern 2881 is not a total loss, as it also includes a pattern for briefs, which I will need eventually.
As before, I will order the pattern from www.sewingpatterns.com.
UPDATE:
Seeing as how I am a man of action and all, I jumped in and ordered the new pattern from sewingpatterns.com. It should be here in a few days. Nice!
Overall, this pattern looks VERY nice. it is much more professionally drawn up than the pattern I have been using to date. I'm glad I ordered it. The instructions are also a bit more thorough, detailed, and the patterns look much more crisp and tidy. On the existing pattern I'm using, the seams are a little sloppy and don't match up quite right.
Interestingly enough, a discussion was recently started over at the Superhero Costuming Forum about body suits. A few users posted some great links which I would like to re-post here for reference.
This is a link I already have posted in my Links Post. It's a great website, but SLIGHTLY beyond my current skill level. I'm sure if I revisit it in a few months, it will seem like childs play.
http://www.stretchy.org/catsuit/
This is actually a very interesting link. Not only does it include the pattern I just got, but it also shows one for a full body wetsuit that looks MUCH more interesting. Take a look at pattern 2335.
Kwik Sew Catalog - Mens Swim wear
Also a very interesting and informative site can be found here:
http://www.weaponofcreation.com/
Because I am so pleased with the KwikSew pattern that arrived today, and seeing as how impressed I am with the quality, I'm going to move ahead and order pattern 2335. It has the right kind of sleeves, and looks good. This will save me the trouble of modifying the pattern I just got, and will remove some complexity. The good news is that pattern 2881 is not a total loss, as it also includes a pattern for briefs, which I will need eventually.
As before, I will order the pattern from www.sewingpatterns.com.
UPDATE:
Seeing as how I am a man of action and all, I jumped in and ordered the new pattern from sewingpatterns.com. It should be here in a few days. Nice!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Getting MUCH Closer
I was JUST about getting to the point where I was going to throw in the towel on the pattern I have for the body suit. The upper body has proven to be very difficult, but then, I am just an amature.
But I have felt as if I'm getting closer and closer with each new pattern.
And tonight I finally had a breakthrough. The shirt that I put together from my latest pattern is VERY nice. I'm also starting to get a hang for what I need to change in order to get the results I want. I guess it's just a matter of getting familiar with the tools, and how the effect the materials. Just like anything else.
So when I put on the shirt as it came off the machine, it was VERY close. And it looked good. The way the sleeves work produce a very flattering cut. But it wasn't QUITE there. I was looking in the mirror, sort of tucking fabric into some seams to try to get some gathering to go away, and I kind of had a revelation about how the suit went together. I don't know how to describe it other than "I got it", and had it figured out. I also had an idea of how to fix the gathering without having to go through the process of making another pattern. I basically just put the suit back into the sewing machine, and took some fabric out where I thought it was needed. Presto!
And I think that's the lesson I've learned today. That you don't always have to go all the way back to the pattern to make change. You can do some changes direclty on the suit, and if it works, then you transfer that to the pattern.
I feel as if the pattern is just about where I need it to be. I will do one more iteration, just to confirm that I am there.
The bummer is that I burned through like FIVE yards of fabric making these shirts and sleeves. At 13 bucks a yard, that ain't cheap. I think next time, I will do all of my development work using a much cheaper fabric, if such a thing exists. Heck, the heavyweight milliskin I am interested in is only 8 bucks a yard.
Overall, it's been really fun so far, though as stated earlier, I'm glad I got to this point when I did. Any longer and I probably would have started to get frustrated. It's been fun though! I already have a prototype of the legs done, and by comparison, that's the easy part.
Now I just need to wait for more fabric to arrive so I can try putting together a full suit.
But I have felt as if I'm getting closer and closer with each new pattern.
And tonight I finally had a breakthrough. The shirt that I put together from my latest pattern is VERY nice. I'm also starting to get a hang for what I need to change in order to get the results I want. I guess it's just a matter of getting familiar with the tools, and how the effect the materials. Just like anything else.
So when I put on the shirt as it came off the machine, it was VERY close. And it looked good. The way the sleeves work produce a very flattering cut. But it wasn't QUITE there. I was looking in the mirror, sort of tucking fabric into some seams to try to get some gathering to go away, and I kind of had a revelation about how the suit went together. I don't know how to describe it other than "I got it", and had it figured out. I also had an idea of how to fix the gathering without having to go through the process of making another pattern. I basically just put the suit back into the sewing machine, and took some fabric out where I thought it was needed. Presto!
And I think that's the lesson I've learned today. That you don't always have to go all the way back to the pattern to make change. You can do some changes direclty on the suit, and if it works, then you transfer that to the pattern.
I feel as if the pattern is just about where I need it to be. I will do one more iteration, just to confirm that I am there.
The bummer is that I burned through like FIVE yards of fabric making these shirts and sleeves. At 13 bucks a yard, that ain't cheap. I think next time, I will do all of my development work using a much cheaper fabric, if such a thing exists. Heck, the heavyweight milliskin I am interested in is only 8 bucks a yard.
Overall, it's been really fun so far, though as stated earlier, I'm glad I got to this point when I did. Any longer and I probably would have started to get frustrated. It's been fun though! I already have a prototype of the legs done, and by comparison, that's the easy part.
Now I just need to wait for more fabric to arrive so I can try putting together a full suit.
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